After the emergency meeting, all levels of government in the Jin Palace began to mobilize urgently, increasing manpower, sending special troops to assist, improving food, formulating special rules for the imperial examination, opening up material supplies, and strengthening security patrols. The army also strengthened the suppression of bandits and protection.
The scholar's journey to Taiyuan was safe.
In the palace of the King of Jin, Pan Liao and Zhang Qianyi were invited by Guo Song. They sat by the brazier with a little uneasiness, while Guo Song stood silently in front of the window with his hands behind his hands.
After a long while, Guo Song asked: "Do you think there is anything wrong with my speech today?"
Pan Liao and Zhang Qianyi looked at each other. Pan Liao shook his head and said, "I didn't notice it because of my humble position."
"What about Zhang Sima? Did you find anything wrong with it?"
"I can't explain it, I just think it's a bit... a bit refreshing."
"It shouldn't be called refreshing, but unconventional."
Guo Song smiled bitterly, "Why didn't the imperial court want to open up quotas and give each state dozens or hundreds of quotas, but it couldn't do it because it would infringe on the interests of the powerful nobles and noble families. The imperial court was controlled by the powerful and aristocratic families.
The local area is controlled by local aristocratic families. As long as the quota is limited, even if there is an imperial examination, ordinary scholars will have no chance. The imperial examination is just a fig leaf. But I took off this fig leaf and implemented a real imperial examination. The scholars at the bottom are happy.
But those with vested interests may not support it, so what I said will be deeply jarring to many people."
Only then did Pan Liao and Zhang Qianyi understand their lord's worries. Pan Liao advised: "Nothing can be comprehensive, and His Highness cannot satisfy everyone."
Zhang Qianyi also said: "I believe that knowledgeable people will support His Highness even more. For example, Yan Zhenqing and Li Bi both recognize His Highness."
"The truth is this. I may win morally, but in reality I will lose miserably. You two need to understand one fact. Those who truly have the right to speak and control the general trend of the world are not the majority of scholars, but the major aristocratic families and wealthy families.
The key is to gain the support of the powerful."
"Since Your Highness has a profound understanding, why do you want to..." Pan Liao and Zhang Qianyi were really puzzled.
Guo Song sighed, looked out the window and said, "I want fish as much as I want bear's paws!"
Pan Liao finally understood a little bit, and he asked: "Your Highness summoned us two just to solve the problem that we cannot have both!"
Guo Song nodded, "What I said today is not allowed to be shared with others. Only the three of us know about it."
The two of them nodded together, "Your Highness, please speak!"
Guo Song pondered for a while and said: "I have thought about it, what kind of forces will influence the world? Royal family, aristocratic family, Guanlong nobles, high-ranking officials of the imperial court, you can continue to add."
"My relatives also count!" Zhang Fengyi said.
"There are also local feudal towns." Pan Liao also added.
Guo Song nodded, "Actually, there are some great scholars in the world who also have appeal. You are right to add that, as Pan Changshi said, I cannot satisfy everyone in the world, so which of these forces can we offend?
What cannot be offended must be separated."
Only then did the two of them understand Guo Song's true purpose. The banner of fairness and justice should be held high, but the interests of some special forces should also be properly considered, to win over one and attack the other. This is the thought of a mature leader.
Zhang Qianyi thought for a while and said: "The royal relatives can be excluded. The royal family is our enemy, the foreign relatives are actually dependent on the royal family, and the feudal lord is also our opponent. These three should be eliminated first."
Pan Liao also said: "In fact, high-ranking officials in the imperial court can also be excluded. The so-called emperor and ministers in one dynasty. These high-ranking officials may seem glamorous now, but in fact they are just passers-by. The real long-term ones are the aristocratic families and the Guanlong nobles. As for the great Confucians, they are scholars.
Representative, Your Highness holding high the flag of fairness and justice is in their interest."
The three people discussed repeatedly and gradually unified their thoughts. Among the major forces, they should firmly grasp the aristocratic family and the Guanlong nobles, win over them, and attack other forces."
........
On the third day after Guo Song issued a declaration upholding fairness and justice, the Jin Palace sent people to all the states in the world to post notices that Taiyuan would hold academic and military examinations in April, welcoming talented people from all over the world to come and take the exams.
The candidates will be given high priority, provided that they have obtained the qualification of rural tribute, and those who have served in the imperial army or local regiments as captains or above.
The imperial examination is an examination parallel to the imperial examination. It is usually held by the emperor to select special talents. The martial arts examination was the martial arts examination held by Wu Zetian in order to break the monopoly of the Guanlong aristocracy on the army. Guo Ziyi was the top performer in the first martial examination.
This time, Guo Song held the imperial examination and martial arts examination in April after the imperial examination in March. On the surface, it was to take care of students with special talents. In the eyes of ordinary imperial examination scholars, this did not conflict with their interests, but they knew it after hearing it.
Yayi, the world's major aristocratic families and Guanlong nobles immediately understood the profound meaning of holding the system and martial arts examinations, and the conditions for participation were tailor-made for them.
There is a large manor covering an area of more than a thousand acres in the south of Ji County, Youzhou, called Lu's Villa. This is one of the Five Hopes in the World, the ancestral home of Fan Yang Lu's family. Like all thousand-year-old families, the Lu family is also flourishing.
It was divided into seven houses, and then a highly respected clan member from each room formed the Lu clan association, with the leader of the most powerful faction in the clan association serving as the head of the family.
The head of the Lu family is called Lu Jingliang. He was once a member of Zhongshushe. Because he was implicated by his brother Lu Qi, he was demoted to the Sima of Langzhou. After Li Xilie's army captured Langzhou, he abandoned his official position and returned to the ancestral home of the Lu family in Hebei.
He was unanimously elected as the head of the Lu family by the clan council.
Although the Lu family is in Zhu Tao's territory, the Lu family's disciples are spread all over Youzhou. For a thousand-year-old family like the Lu family, Zhu Tao does not dare to touch them easily. Instead, he treats the Lu family with great courtesy, and the Lu family has no objection.
The disciple worked for Zhu Tao, and the two parties got along well.
This is also the self-protection technique of the aristocratic family. They will not ruin their reputation, but they will not offend the powerful vassal either.
At noon that day, a man in his mid-thirties walked quickly into a courtyard. He said at the door: "The master of the house is looking for me?"
"Come in!" Lu Jingliang's voice came from the room.
The man walked into the room. This tall man was called Lu Lun. He was the most famous poet in the Lu family at this stage. More than ten years ago, Lu Lun, who was just in his early twenties, showed his talent in the poetry world and was known as a great poet.
Among the ten greatest poets in history, he was appreciated by Yuan Zai and Wang Jin successively, and became their honored guests successively.
But also because of the fall of Yuan Zai and Wang Jin, he was implicated and almost went to jail. Fortunately, there were many people who interceded for him and he was not convicted. He then traveled around and took part in the imperial examination several times, but failed repeatedly.
, he never became an official, and soon he was thirty-five years old. The country was in chaos and his future was bleak. He was also disheartened and returned to the Lu family to teach students and became the chief professor of the Lu family school.
Lu Lun is Lu Jingliang's junior, and his uncle Lu Ran is sitting next to him. He bows and salutes, "See the head of the family, see the third uncle!"
Lu Jingliang smiled slightly and said, "How are you preparing for the exam?"
This time, the Taiyuan Imperial Examination, all major families attach great importance to it and sent their best disciples to take the examination. The Lu family is no exception. Lu Lun will lead three Lu family disciples and three Lu family disciples to Taiyuan.
Lu Lun said quickly: "Manager Wang went to Taiyuan ten days ago. He has rented a house. We are packing our bags and will leave for Taiyuan in three days."
Next to him, Lu Ran said: "This Taiyuan imperial examination does not limit family status and advocates meritocracy. However, the world's most talented people are still in aristocratic families. In fact, it is still a competition between major aristocratic families. Our Lu family does not have enough connections in the officialdom, but it is academically important."
But it is better than other companies. If the competition is truly fair, it will actually be beneficial to our Lu family."
Lu Lun shook his head, "Third uncle, we can't be too optimistic now. We are just better overall, but if we only send the best disciples, the competitiveness of the major families will still be between equals."
"My nephew is right, we really cannot be optimistic too early!"
Lu Jingliang took over the topic, and then said to Lu Lun: "I brought you here this time to discuss another matter. What just happened, we got news that there will be another massacre in Taiyuan in April.
College, the conditions are very harsh, you must get more than two township tributes. We took a look and found that only major aristocratic families can get two township tributes. Your third uncle and I agree that this system of colleges and universities is actually
Tailor-made for the major aristocratic families in the world is Guo Song's method to win over the aristocratic families. He uses the imperial examination to obtain morality and uses the system to balance interests. Guo Song played this move very cleverly."
Lu Ran also said: "There will be martial arts competitions in April, probably to win over the Guanlong nobles."
Lu Jingliang looked at Lu Lun and said: "My dear nephew, I remember that you also paid tribute twice to the village!"
Lu Lun hesitated and said: "I should not be the only one of the Lu family's children who has received two rural tributes, but there are several others. Why doesn't the head of the family consider them?"
Lu Jingliang said calmly: "This time the imperial examination is not as simple as the imperial examination. It is an opportunity given by Guo Song to the world's famous families. The Lu family must seize this opportunity. If I were not the head of the family, I would go. We will think about it again and again."
, it is most appropriate for you to go, Guo Song will never let you start from the ninth rank official, you must cherish this opportunity."
Lu Lun's heart skipped a beat, and the seeds of a career that had been dormant for a long time began to sprout in his heart again. He nodded slowly, "Okay! I'm going to take the business exam."